Ae Muriel Gilean, the world between the worlds
by June Ellie
Summary: Pls read & comment. 6 friends are sucked into the world of stories. They have to defeat the Ultimate Druid, recover the Staurolic Orb and return to their own world before it is too late. THERE WILL BE NO ROMANCE IN THIS FIC. SO THERE.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

Chapter 1: Prologue

"Hurry up, Hobee!" Nellie hollered impatiently from her seat in the clubhouse. She shook the branches vigourously, causing a torrent of leaves to rain down on Hobee.

"Alright, I'm coming already!" Hobee replied calmly, picking leaves out of her hair as she climbed up the rope ladder to the tree house. Suddenly, an overripe tomato pelted downwards, narrowly missing Hobee. This was followed by several spoilt cherries and a handful of sour grapes.

"Heli! Stop throwing fruits at me! I said I'm coming!" Hobee ducked as a rotten apple whizzed past, splattering open on the trunk of a nearby tree.

Hobee pulled herself up the rope ladder and into the treehouse in Nellie's backyard. Heli's grinning face appeared as she mischievously picked up another tomato. Hobee groaned. "Not again, Heli! Why do you always like throwing fruits at me?"

"Because it's fun watching you try to dodge." Heli cracked an evil grin. Ari, who was sketching quietly in a corner, looked up in exaggerated surprise. "Well, if it isn't Hobee, 15 minutes late AGAIN!"

"It's not my fault that my violin practice stretches so late," Hobee gave Ari an annoyed look.

"Yeah, right, and it's not your fault that you fell hopelessly in love with a screechy string instrument." Tessa grinned as she put her book down on the shelf.

Nellie sniggered and mimicked a high-pitched and screechy sound, followed by shattering glass.

"FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, THE VIOLIN DOES NOT SOUND LIKE THAT! NOR DOES IT SHATTER ANY GLASS!" Hobee yelled.

"Aw, poor Hobee's getting to be too much like an adult: Too serious and too little fun! Don't worry, we'll help you snap out of your 'i must not break rules' attitude!" Rima smirked as she squashed Hobee in a tight embrace.

"RIMA! STOP CHOKING POOR HOBEE!" Tessa grinned. "Anyway, now that we're all here, let The Mysterious Realm's meeting come to order!"


	2. Chapter 2 Storm of Wrath

Chapter 2: Storm of Wrath

Ari triumphantly picked up a copy of Queste from the bookshelf. "I finally finished reading Queste! It wasn't easy, considering that I had hide in my room and pile my books up against the door to prevent my mum from coming in. She's always on my back, nagging at me for not studying enough even though exams are already over!"

Tessa sighed sympathetically. "Believe me, I totally empathize with you. Just because I got 99 and not 100 for Maths, my mum dumped an entire stack of assessment books on my bed when I was trying to read Deathly Hallows."

Rima looked wistfully at Tessa. "At least you have your own books. Yesterday, my sister scribbled all over Order of the Phoenix with her colour pencils. If it weren't for The Mysterious Realm meetings, I'd never get to read."

Heli sighed. "At least your sister destroys your books in a more sensible way. Yesterday, I caught my sister staging a "funeral" with Eldest as the dead body. Now there's mud all over my book."

Nellie shuddered. "Thank God I'm an only child."

Hobee looked outside and frowned. "Is it just me, or is a major storm brewing?" All 5 heads turned to look. At that moment, there was a crack of lightning and a deafening roar of thunder. Immediately, a heavy downpour ensued.

Nellie sighed. "So much for a meeting. We'd better get inside before my mum has a cow about us catching pneumonia."

A loud crack of lightning echoed loudly and all 6 book club members jumped violently. A nearby branch broke off and fell to the ground with a loud crash.

Ari shivered. "Or before our tree house gives way and follows that branch."

Before anybody could reply, there was a loud boom and a smell of smoke as blinding white light filled the tree house. The last thing Nellie saw before passing out was a cloaked figure standing over her with a sword.


	3. Chapter 3 Ae Muriel Gilean

Chapter 3: Ae Muriel Gilean

Nellie blinked slowly as she tried to sit up. A stabbing pain spread through her chest, causing her to gasp in pain. Everything seemed blurry and unfocused.

"She's awake!" somebody exclaimed loudly from her right side. Nellie turned her head slowly as her vision cleared. Her five friends were surrounding her in a circle with looks of relief mirrored on their faces.

"Are you alright? You were out cold for at least ten minutes!" Hobee exhaled loudly.

"Oh come on, Hobee. It takes a lot more than a stab of a sword to bring Nellie down," Heli grinned, but likewise she seemed very much relieved.

"What...what happened?" Nellie shuddered as the streak of pain struck her chest again.

"We're not sure either. The treehouse got struck by lightning and then somebody wearing a cloak appeared from nowhere. He drew out a sword, the type used by the Knights of the Round Table in King Arthur's time, and tried to stab you. Tessa screamed and then... he turned on us and uttered a strange phrase. The last thing everybody remembered before passing out was an explosion of red light." Rima explained.

"Then, we came to in this weird place. Everything is all misty and all we can see are clouds. Do you suppose we're dead?" Ari looked thoughtful.

"No, you are not. Welcome, brave young travellers, to Ae Muriel Gilean, the world between the worlds."


	4. Chapter 4 Old Man of Wandering Mountain

At the sound of a new voice, everybody jumped violently and whirled round.

An old man stood before them. His white hair and beard shimmered softly as it floated out from around him, lending to him an aura of great presence. Clutched in his right hand a staff of curled, wizened wood, and his eyes, which were sunken and cool, shone with the great wisdom of ages.

While her 5 friends stared at the old man, Nellie suddenly gasped loudly. "But that's impossible! You're the Old Man of Wandering Mountain from the Neverending Story!"

The old man turned to look at her. "I see you are well-read. Yes, I am indeed the Old Man of Wandering Mountain."

"But...but...but... I thought that was just a character from a story!" Heli looked as though she couldn't believe her eyes.

"It is true that I am from a story. Or so it is in your world. In the other worlds, they read stories too. Some stories may even be about you." The old man smiled.

"You mean other worlds exist out there? Like the ones in our stories? And they are real?" Ari gaped at the old man.

"Yes indeed. But this will not be true for much longer. For the Ultimate Druid has begun to seize control of the worlds, one by one." The old man's expression abruptly changed, going from a calm demeanor to a deep frown that suddenly made him look more intimidating and dangerous.

"What do you mean? And how are we a part of this?" Tessa asked, confusion written all over her face.

"Come with me, my young friends. I think it is time I told you about the prophecy which concerns all of you. For we have been waiting for you to come for thousands of years."


End file.
